Chief Rugby League Reporter

Vulgar: Todd Carney’s options are limited after being sacked by three clubs. Photo: Getty Images

The NRL's salary cap changes for next year include a "no dickheads policy" that allows clubs to sack misbehaving players without being financially penalised for doing so.

Cronulla had to make the agonising decision to get rid of their star playmaker, Todd Carney, after he was embroiled in another controversy, this time a lewd photo that went viral.

The NRL's salary cap changes, which were announced a month ago, will not take effect in time to benefit the embattled Sharks. However, clubs are less likely to tolerate abhorrent behaviour from next year, knowing the funds allocated for terminated players can be spent rebuilding their roster.

Todd Carney. Photo: Getty Images

Under the new system, if a player is terminated after, say, 10 games, he will receive his payments for those appearances. The club can then apply to the NRL to use the rest of his salary to buy a replacement for the rest of the season. If the player's dismissal is after June 30, the club is not permitted to buy or register a replacement for the year. However, it can use that money to upgrade or extend the deal of a contracted player it wishes to retain.

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"We have already changed the salary cap rules from 2015 to ensure that any club which terminates a player for misbehaviour is not penalised," NRL chief operating officer Jim Doyle said.

"We hope this provision does not have to be used because we don’t want players doing anything which brings the game into disrepute.

"But the clubs will have our total support if they decided to terminate a player who damages the image of the game."

Under the "no dickheads policy", players can be terminated only in consultation with the integrity unit to ensure clubs do not abuse the rule to get rid of underperformers.

"[Offensive] behaviour is just not going to be tolerated," Doyle said.

"If the clubs work through the integrity unit, they will be able to apply for salary cap relief if they terminate any player whose behaviour brings the game into disrepute."

Carney has now been sacked by three NRL clubs – Canberra, Sydney Roosters and Cronulla – leaving him at the crossroads at the age of 28. It is unlikely he will be able to gain a visa to play in the English Super League, and his most likely destination is a foreign rugby club. However, he will not be able to command the sort of money he was on at the Sharks, a deal worth more than $3 million.

The Sharks and the NRL have vowed not to abandon him amid concerns for his welfare. Rugby League Players' Association president Clint Newton said the union remained in touch with the former Origin star to ensure he received any assistance required.

"We're certainly very mindful of Todd's welfare and we'll offer as much support is as needed in as much as he wants to engage us," Newton said.

"There's certainly a role for us to play there. We've certainly made contact and our team is offering as much support as possible."

The Sharks, who are without a coach after caretaker Peter Sharp resigned during the week, remain in the market for a high-profile replacement. They have named rookie Fa’amanu Brown at No.6 for Saturday's clash with defending premiers, the Roosters, at Allianz Stadium.

41 comments so far

But nothing to prevent them being snapped up by a rival club straight away?

Commenter

rayj

Date and time

July 03, 2014, 10:42PM

Totally agree rayj, if the NRL is to be fair dinkum over this policy they will make it impossible for any other club to sign a player sacked by his club for bringing the game into disrepute. If the player wishes to continuing using his skills to earn a living let him try it out of the NRL. Only with this strict policy will the game rid itself of the so called 'dickheads'

Commenter

RTP

Location

Sawtell

Date and time

July 04, 2014, 3:19AM

C'mon. This is the NRL. You can't expect them to think things through before they make a knee-jerk reaction. The public wants what the public gets. {and no, that's not back to front}

Commenter

mutt

Date and time

July 04, 2014, 5:49AM

and this is the problem - see Josh Dugan, Todd Carney, Blake Ferguson - just for starters. I am not a Raiders fan and I feel the Raiders are the ones that are getting the rough end of the pineapple. It is time that the clubs that sign these players after they are sacked pay a penalty to the losing club. My idea is that any club that employs someone who has been cut for poor behaviour (or should that be appalling) be required to pay the losing club as well as the player. So if Easts are able to register Blake Ferguson they must pay Canberra Raiders the same amount as the are paying to Blake Ferguson and this is included in Easts salary cap.

Commenter

Chookman

Location

Charlestown

Date and time

July 04, 2014, 8:15AM

Disagree Chookman. Some clubs seem to make saints out of sinners. Josh Dugan seems (so far) to have turned the corner and going from strength to strength since joining STI. Wendell Sailor's image was also rejuvenated after he signed up with STI. I'm sure there are others I haven't heard about. So why should the successful club's management pay a penalty to the club that failed the young mavericks? You want to punish someone - take aim at the clubs whose management failed to properly mentor their young stars first.

Commenter

Yachtie

Location

Maroubra

Date and time

July 04, 2014, 8:55AM

To much logic in that statement for the football codes to understand.

Commenter

Watcher

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

July 04, 2014, 10:08AM

Chookman - How about an idea that if a club produces three 'dickheads' that get sacked then the club that made these dickheads is penalised for not curbing their behaviour earlier.

Commenter

Greg

Date and time

July 04, 2014, 12:08PM

Disagree Chookman, how about the Roosters players..... Willie Mason when he was there, caught urinating on the hotel wall at Double Bay, Nate Myles for Defecating in the Hotel corridor thinking it was a toilet, Jake Friend etc.....

1 rule for 1 club and another for the others.

NRL has lost the plot and I don't see any improvement under the new management scheme

Commenter

Chrissie

Location

Sydney

Date and time

July 04, 2014, 1:15PM

What's the problem, if a Club wishes to pick up a sacked player, they take the risk, some people in all walks of life stuff up and learn from it. Its buyer beware, Carney is obviously a slow learner and having had so many chances I can't see any other club wanting him. Future issues where players get sacked if they get another chance should be assessed by prospective clubs on an individual basis. Some may stuff up and treatise by the second or third chance its time to grow up.

Commenter

Ashley

Date and time

July 04, 2014, 1:42PM

I dont have any sympathy for Canberra, these players have been living the protected life in the ACT, where any indiscretion is swept under the carpet, until it just becomes to bad. Clubs need to set expectations of behaviour and follwo them no matter what the age or ability of the player.The same thing goes on in every one team town, Newcastle with Andrew Johns etc etc .